This past summer, I took an introductory certification course focused on freediving in Monterey, California. Freediving is the act of diving underneath the surface and only returning once you run out of breath. It's like scuba diving without all the clunky gear, on only a single breath. Your success in this sport is heavily dependent on your ability to calm down and clear your mind, since your heart rate needs to be as low as possible in order to conserve oxygen. This is thec

Philip and I rested on the edge of his grandfather’s pool. A few leaves from the fruitless mulberry trees overhead fell prematurely, and I extended my scarred pool noodle into the water and lifted them out. It was fun peeling the leaves off the pool noodle and slapping them on Philip’s leg. He didn’t like it, so he peeled them off and put them on my arm. I left them. We spent our entire summer, from sunrise to sunset, in that back yard getting a tan. We’d been neighbors

On July 31, 2026, the highly anticipated fourth installment of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films finally released after nearly five years since the series’ last film. Audiences were eager to see what Marvel’s web-slinger had in store for them this past summer blockbuster season, especially after such a long waiting period and a recent phenomenon of what some have come to define as “superhero fatigue.” In recent years, audiences have seemed to take less interest in superhero rela

As we navigate our adult lives, we learn how to manage relationships and goals. Both of those things can be complicated, and it gets even more complicated if you are not secure in your own identity. When you don't know who you are, it can be easy to define yourself based on your relationships and aspirations rather than those things being part of your identity. I myself had to learn this the hard way when I crumbled under the expectations placed on me by myself and others. I